JUST RELEASED: ACUF’s Idaho State Ratings – Some Good, Some Bad, Some In-between

JUST RELEASED: ACUF’s Idaho State Ratings – Some Good, Some Bad, Some In-between

August 2, 2017

WASHINGTON DC – The American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) has just released its ratings for the 2017 meeting of the Idaho State Legislature. These ratings, a portion of the comprehensive and nationwide ratings released by the ACUF, are designed to reflect how elected officials view the role of government and are helpful in illustrating how both chambers of the legislature as well as individual members’ prioritize a wide variety of issue areas that directly affect Idahoans.

The ACUF has reviewed each piece of legislation voted on in both the Senate and House of Representatives to produce average scores for each chamber as well as individual scores for each sitting member.

Idaho lawmakers took pen to paper on various issues during the 2017 legislative session including welfare eligibility, speeding laws, health insurance mandates, public television funding, concealed carry laws, and tax reduction. This year, the Idaho state legislature voted to:

· Curb property tax hikes;

· Strengthen Second Amendment rights for members of our Armed Forces;

· Keep government funds out of the advocacy business; and

· Reform asset forfeiture laws.

Though a portion of legislation made its way through the chambers upheld the rights and wellbeing of Idahoans, many other votes from this year’s session did little to curtail the concerning rise of over-regulation and over-criminalization across the state. The legislature also voted to:

Criminalize interpreting American Sign Language; and
Expand over-reliance on welfare.

The two chambers boosted their overall conservative scores only slightly, suggesting the legislative body has seen moderate improvement this year. The Idaho Senate’s average score increased by 2% points this year – from 61% in 2016 to 63% in 2017 – and the House’s score also increased by 2% – from 60% in 2016 to 62% this year.

Founded in 1964, the American Conservative Union (ACU) is the original conservative organization in the nation. For more than fifty years, ACU has served as an umbrella organization harnessing the collective strength of conservative organizations fighting for Americans who are concerned with liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values, and strong national defense. As America's premier conservative voice, ACU is the leading entity in providing conservative positions on issues to Congress, the Executive Branch, State Legislatures, the media, political candidates, and the public.
Read More